Basic Search Strategies
Boolean Operators are words and symbols that group keywords in specific ways.
- Group keywords together with quotation marks to search as an exact phrase. Example: “alfred hitchcock”
- Use AND to combine several keywords or phrases. Example: “opening credits” AND typography
- Use OR to search for information about one term, and also articles about another term. Example: film OR cinema
- Use the asterisk * if you want to search multiple iterations of a keyword. Example: sequenc* = sequence, sequences, sequencing
Scholarly Articles
Scholarly articles:
- are written, reviewed, and edited by experts,
- refer to work by other scholars
Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
Try the Discover search box on the library home page to search multiple databases at the same time. In the advanced search or the side filter facets select Peer Reviewed (Scholarly).
Also, try our "EBSCO Search" to search about 60 databases from the vendor EBSCO at the same time (see search tab options at the top of your main search or in Advanced Search).
Once in a database, you can select Peer-Reviewed Only and/or Scholarly in the Advanced Search or using side filter facets
Is this Article Peer Reviewed? Use Our Ulrich Database to Check
How to double-check if an article is peer-reviewed using a journal title search in our database Ulrich:
Search the journal title (what journal published the article) in our database Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory (see Databases A-Z) to verify that the "Serial Type" is a Journal and that the "Content Type" is Academic/Scholarly.
Also, check the Description: the journal will typically say if it is peer-reviewed (&/or refereed) or scholarly reviewed
Key Features: Refereed / Peer-reviewed.
- Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Comprehensive international list of journals, magazines, newspapers, and online full-text electronic references. For each title indicates subject area, publisher, publication schedule, where indexed/abstracted, if peer reviewed and more. Search by title, ISSN, publisher, subject, keyword, dates, and more.
Interlibrary Loan
Found or need information (e.g. articles, books, etc.) that we don't have access to? You can get it via Interlibrary Loan Details (ILL).
- Request a book or article.
- Most articles are emailed within 1-2 weeks. Books may take longer.
WTAMU students, faculty, staff, and Friends of Cornette Library (Supporting level and above) can use Interlibrary Loan (ILL) to borrow research materials from the collections of other libraries.
ILL Office hours are Monday-Friday 8AM to 5PM. Contact the Interlibrary Loan department at (806) 651-2406.
Delivery could take as little as a couple of days or as much as three weeks. See here for more information about Interlibrary Loan. Click here for our ILL FAQs. For our Interlibrary Loan policies click our Library policies section then select Interlibrary Loan.